Race Recap Elite NextGen Series
Watkins Glen International
Fri, Aug 14, 2026Round 11
Gore Dominates Watkins Glen International: Leads from Pole to Victory
Race at a Glance
Field Size
15
Laps
45
Avg Lap Time
1:11.570
Clean Runners
6
Lead Lap Finishers
1
Winner Spotlight
CustomDaniel Gore
P1 Finish
Round 11 of the RFRL Elite NextGen Series belonged entirely to the #4 of Daniel Gore, who converted his pole position into a dominant performance at Watkins Glen International. Gore, seeking his first win of the season and in the series, did exactly that — leading all 45 laps on a green-flag afternoon with zero cautions to interrupt his rhythm. The race unfolded without a single lead change, and with a clean run free of incidents, Gore stood alone at the finish as the uncontested winner.
Behind him, #2 Carlos Acosta delivered a strong runner-up result, advancing two positions from his P4 starting spot to claim second. It marks Acosta's second podium-level result in series competition, adding 35 points to his total on a day when the field needed answers and he had them. #91 David Westergreen rounded out the podium in third, holding his P3 starting position to the flag despite accumulating 7 incidents across the 45-lap distance — a finish that could have been tidier but was meaningful nonetheless.
The hard charger award went to #76 Cameron Gulley, who charged from 13th on the grid all the way to 7th at the checkered flag, gaining six positions across a clean, caution-free race. Gulley's ability to pick through traffic at Watkins Glen without the benefit of restarts made the result particularly impressive. Meanwhile, the day's biggest stumble belonged to #73 John Crosby, who started P2 and slid back eight positions to finish 10th — a significant points loss on a day he could ill afford one. #71 Tommy Wynne similarly lost six spots from P6 to P12.
With 14 races still remaining in the Elite NextGen Series season, the standings tell a complex story. #68 Tom Ringer holds the points lead at 324 after a fifth-place finish, but his advantage over second-place #5 Brandon Hinton — who crossed eighth today — is 32 points. #3 Tommy Wynne sits third at 280, with #60 Brian Sousa at 272 and Acosta climbing to 264 in fifth. Gore's victory doesn't yet appear in the top five, but the win itself could reshape the conversation as the series pushes deeper into the second half of the schedule.
Top Movers
Cameron Gulley76
▲ +6Tom Ringer68
▲ +4Brandon M Hinton5
▲ +3Finishing Order
| Finish | Start | +/- | Car # | Driver | Inc | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | Daniel Gore | 0x | 40 |
| 2 | 4 | +2 | 2 | Carlos Acosta | 0x | 35 |
| 3 | 3 | 0 | 91 | David Westergreen | 7x | 34 |
| 4 | 5 | +1 | 51 | Sam Boutwell | 2x | 33 |
| 5 | 9 | +4 | 68 | Tom Ringer | 0x | 32 |
| 6 | 8 | +2 | 74 | Ian Blanchard | 1x | 31 |
| 7 | 13 | +6 | 76 | Cameron Gulley | 3x | 30 |
| 8 | 11 | +3 | 5 | Brandon M Hinton | 3x | 29 |
| 9 | 12 | +3 | 12 | Phoebe Quinones | 12x | 28 |
| 10 | 2 | -8 | 73 | John W Crosby | 4x | 27 |
| 11 | 7 | -4 | ![]() | Chuck Burley | 5x | 26 |
| 12 | 6 | -6 | 71 | Tommy Wynne | 2x | 25 |
| 13 | 10 | -3 | 60 | Brian Sousa | 0x | 24 |
| 14 | 14 | 0 | 79 | Jordan Traas | 0x | — |
| 15 | 15 | 0 | ![]() | Victor Etheridge | 0x | — |




